Southern California -- this just in

Jackson memorial ticket winners line up at Dodger Stadium

July 6, 2009 | 8:42
am

Cars and trucks blaring Michael Jackson music were lined up at Dodger Stadium as early as 6 this morning as people arrived to redeem their vouchers for the golden tickets and wristbands to Jackson’s Staples Center memorial service.

Bob and Shaneese Lewis of Palm Springs awoke at 3 a.m. to make the drive to the stadium. Both had registered for tickets online, and it was Bob Lewis' entry that got them through the gates.

“I feel very lucky,” he said. “I grew up on Michael Jackson and I learned to dance watching Michael Jackson.”

The Lewises plan to stay with friends this evening, then pay their respects and pray for Jackson at the memorial service, which will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday. “I feel like I won the lottery,” Bob Lewis said.

About 1.6 million people signed up to receive the free tickets, which will grant entry either to the live event at Staples Center or to neighboring Nokia Theatre, where the memorial will be shown on a live feed.

-- Allen J. Schaben at Dodger Stadium and Nicole Santa Cruz

Photo: Michael Jackson fans Shaneese and Bob Lewis, of Palm Springs, show off the vouchers for tickets to the Jackson memorial that they won in an online lottery. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times